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Jo Bryant, expert at etiquette institute Debretts, said: 'Mobile phones allow us to communicate instantly, with ease and spontaneity, but as the survey results show, consideration for others is essential for good mobile phone manners.

'People in the flesh deserve more attention than a gadget, so wherever possible do not allow your phone to distract you in face-to-face situations.'

The findings were uncovered as part of a study into the nation's mobile phone habits to unearth the ultimate mobile 'dos' and 'don'ts'.

Good practice was texting a partner a 'goodnight' message, avoiding drunken texting and leaving it at least two days before texting after a date.

Distracted: Jo Bryant, etiquette expert at Debretts, said that people in the flesh deserve more attention than a gadget, so wherever possible do not allow your phone to distract you in face-to-face situations

Texting a partner to update on plans, avoiding texting when angry and steering clear of trivial small talk were also found to be other good rules to go by.

THE MOBILE PHONE 'DON'T LIST

Carry on phone conversations when making a transaction in a shop, bank or restaurant

Send more than two texts without a reply - it looks needy

Use your mobile phone or tablet when eating with family

Leave caps lock on when texting or emailing - no-one wants to feel like they are being shouted at

Check your phone constantly when out with someone - give them your full attention

Use acronyms like 'LOL', 'K', 'G2G'

Finish a relationship by text. Be brave and do it face to face

Forward on 'round robin' chain messages

Overdo it with attention seeking selfiesUse your phone on the toilet

Nearly a third of the study had an unfortunate experience when drunk texting that they'd rather forget, while embarrassing 'auto correct' mistakes and accidentally texting the boss had also occurred.

The study also found an unlucky one in ten has sent a text talking about a person to the person they were talking about by mistake leading to awkwardness.

While four in ten people have completely misinterpreted a poorly written text - with people not understanding sarcasm the most likely pitfall.

And the study unveiled the expectations of people when it comes to how long a can wait to text back before it seems rude - one in seven Brits expects a response within the hour before they get impatient.

But once 24 hours elapses without a reply, 85 per cent of people think it's a sign they are being ignored and will take insult.

More than a fifth of Brits thought their own phone manners may be in need of improvement and more than six in ten had someone who regularly irritates them.

Londoners were found to have the worst phone manners whilst the Scots were the most polite. Dan Meader of TalkTalk Mobile, added: "We are rarely ever without our mobile phones so it's unsurprising that sometimes when we're busy chatting, texting or surfing we fail to consider those around us.

"Nearly 70 per cent of us know someone with bad phone manners - although only a fifth of us thought our own phone manners may be in need of improvement - so our user friendly guide aims to help people weave their way through the web that is modern phone etiquette.'

For further information or to view the 'phonetiquette' guide visit talktalk.co.uk/phonetiquette